Monday, March 10, 2014

Lent Day Six ~ Communion with Christ

Eph. 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye
believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

A lot of people think when I talk about all this spiritual stuff
I’m not leading a Christ-filled life because I’m too wrapped up in all of this
Spirit mumbo jumbo. Spirit mumbo jumbo, huh. So you think that Jesus, the Holy
Spirit, is a bunch of mumbo jumbo?

Let me try to elaborate a little if I may. I grew up in a
house that was not filled with God. We had drugs and alcohol and each one of us
kids, six in all, strayed to the dark spirit that called us. I will only speak
of my journey because it is mine to tell.

As a small child I believed in ghost, who amongst us wasn’t
curious about ghosts? A few of you I’m sure, but in all honesty, I was
intrigued by spirits and the pull that they had on my life. I’m certain that
God didn’t just create all good spirits, it is written that there will be a
legion of evil spirits walking the land, after all He did condemn Satan for
giving Eve that apple didn’t He?

It is through the communion with Christ, my comforter, the
HOLY Spirit that I find my saving grace. When I died of alcohol consumption, it
wasn’t satan who saw to it that I came back, it wasn’t the bible that saved me,
it wasn’t wisdom and knowledge all crammed into my head that saved me, it wasn’t
ideology either, no it was the Holy Spirit that blanketed me, surrounding me
with Angels that warmed me and pulled me out of the abyss.

Talk about breathing new life, Spirits will do that once you
experience them first hand, the good ones AND the bad ones. Yeah this is the
point in my life where people started calling me weird and crazy but I was okay
with that because I knew the Holy Spirit had great plans for me otherwise I
would be dead right now unable to relay important messages.

I think the problem that society has is that they’re under
the false assumption that they can read the bible, fill themselves with all the
scriptures, gain wisdom and knowledge and that that is their communion with
Christ; THAT is their saving grace to them. They don’t have to live
Christ-like, be Christ-like or bear ANY cross.

To be FILLED with the Spirit is a whole different ballgame.
Think of yourself as the batter, you’re preparing to swing as God is the
pitcher and his Angels are surrounding you on the bases. He throws the word at
you, you swing, hit and it’s a pop-up going long (that would be you filling
yourself with the bible/wisdom/knowledge.) It’s soaring, you’re feeling good
about this one but then it falls flat in the outfield right into an Angels
hand. You’re OUT

He winds his arm ready to toss another one. You look Him
dead in the eye, determined to hit a home run with this one. He throws out
material treasures, you see all of them dancing in front of you. You go to
swing but you’re too consumed with the penetration, the strong pull of seeing
treasures not the ball. He threw the ball three times but you were distracted.
Strike three, another out.

Okay, we’re at the bottom of the ninth; tie game. The demon
spirits are cheering from the stands every time you fail. They let out a roar
of applause as you hang your head in shame for the failure that you’ve become
in this game. You think you’ve done good but those demon spirits are filling
you with doubt and embarrassment. You know you’re trying your best, but again,
the demon spirits pull out all their ammunition to distract you. They even line
the sidelines (unseen in baseball) with half naked cheerleaders that you see as
beautiful but really, they’re demon spirits trying to lure you away from being
the best, the VERY best you can be.

God winds His arm, a sweat brow has formed on His lips, this
is it, will you or won’t you? The ball is now filled with Christ, His Son! The
ball leaves His hand, you see it coming at you full force. Your eyes are focused.
As the stadium falls silent, you take in a deep breath; focused, you swing, you
miss. Strike one.

Revving for another pitch He tosses the cross at you. Your
focus is on the cheerleaders, the commotion in the stands, everything around
you begins a slow motion movement. You swing. Strike two.

You see another ball coming straight at you, but blood is
dripping from your eyes. You kneel and look up at the cross and it is not your
blood, but the blood of Christ dripping down on your face. A deep inhale as
tears swell in your eyes. The game, your surroundings, the ball coming at you
is gone, you’re now inhaling the very soil that the Cross is buried in.

You look up and see a spiraling vapor ascending from the
cross. At first you feel scared but when the vapor consumes you, fills you with
confidence, surrounds you in peace, comforts you with love, blankets your soul,
your eyes…they now see the ball more clearly. You swing, hit the ball with a
strength you never knew, snapping the bat into shards.

Home run! No one in the stands is cheering for you, but the
other team (God and His Angels)? They are rejoicing in your overcoming the
distractions. They are delighting in your achievement of winning the game…the
game of LIFE.

You now play a lot differently because you know the meaning
of Communing with Christ.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring
all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.